OVER VIEW OF THE PROJECT:

Majority of the population in Afghanistan are busy in farming and agricultural, most of the people make their living out of cultivation or raising life stock (sheep, cows and goats).

The devastating prolong war has damaged the economical infrastructure of the country in general and in Ghazni province in particular. Ghazni has remained the field for severe battles during Russian occupation and civil war in Talibans’ era. War had its worse impact on all sectors of life especially, agriculture sector in Afghanistan during the past three decades, the irrigation and farming system have been totally or partially damaged in different areas. War also had its harsh impact on the communities, women in particular who lost their husband, son, father or all of them. Now these ladies are the bread winner of their children and other dependents.

Now that, the government is established and the country is reviving from the vast devastation, we have decided to take part in the rehabilitation of the country and the revival of the agricultural sector by helping these needy widow women with provision of goats so that they win the bread of their children and take a bit of share in the reconstruction of the country. In addition it will contribute to the meat and milk need in the country and reduce the rate of malnutrition among the children and women who suffer from various illnesses due to malnutrition.

 

OBJECTIVES:

  • To take part in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the country by provision of income generation opportunities to needy women.
  • Empower women through economical rehabilitation.
  • Provide market with the dairy products such as Milk, Yogurt, Curd, Cream and Cheese with a better quality and enough quantity.
  • Provide market with meat and wool of the goats
  • Provide job opportunities for the jobless women
  • Engage people, women in particular in productive activities and prevent domestic violations which prevail in the families due to poverty

 

LOCATION: (where the project to be implemented)

In Ghazni province where NEC has already established very good relations with the community particularly the women, Ghazni is almost located in the center of Afghanistan about 2 hours drive from the capital Kabul. It is surrounded by Provinces of Zabul, Orzgan, Paktia, Paktika, Bamyan, Wardag and Logar.

It consist 13 districts, Nawa, Giro, Andar, Abe Band, Gilan, Muqor, Qara Bagh, Malistan, Jaghato, Jaghori, Nawar, Deh Yak and Zana Khan.

Most of the mentioned districts are green and have enough water preservation, for instance, the famous ancient dam of Bandi Sultan is big water storage for the province, around which a vast land is sufficient for grazing.

The newly built road has solved the problem of access to other provinces especially to Kabul a big market for the dairy and meat production.

 

BENEFICIARIES:

NEC for the last 4 years has trained 1800 women 70 of whom are the most vulnerable widows who have lost their husbands, sons or fathers in the war. They have been given short and long term trainings in Psychosocial, Health Care, Small Business income generation and literacy courses. They are the bread winners of their children and other dependents. During the trainings these women proved to have various capacities of doing small businesses of income generation. They already have the experience of raising goats especially when the flood of Bande Sultan damaged the agricultural lands in 2005 most of these widows struggled to have a goat or two in order to make a living.

Poverty has restrained these women from participation in social activities and in making decisions in their life.

 

PROCEDURES:

  • The most vulnerable widows have already been identified by NEC (they are the target group)
  • A short training will be conducted to these ladies on raising of the animals, dairy production, marketing and ways of reporting to NEC
  • Each widow family would be provided maximum 10 to 20 goats under specific conditions (Conditions are explained below) depending on their facilitation capacity
  • NEC would monitor their small farms on monthly bases and provide technical support through its Farm Store in Ghazni (which will be established through assistance of CNFA)
  • Milk would be processed in the Farm Store where the processing machine will be provided for their service
  • Cold storage facility would be provided for the dairy production within the Farm Store in Ghazni
  • NEC would do marketing for the meat and dairy production in Kabul and other nearby provinces
  • NEC will establish a pool where the 50% of the offspring of the goats would be kept
  • The spring would be distributed to other needy widows who newly join the NEC target group
  • Gradually the number of the beneficiaries would increase from 70 families to 120 families within the two first years of the project
  • A form of agreement would be developed for each beneficiary containing all the terms and conditions

 

CONDITIONS: (for the provision of goats)

  • Each beneficiary must be a widow and the most vulnerable family in Ghazni province
  • She must have taken the Small Business Training by NEC
  • Must work hard to take care of the life stock provided to her and make her basic living needs out of it
  • She should provide 20% (within second month on monthly base) of dairy production to NEC so that the service cost of veterinary and storage are covered
  • 50% of the offspring should be put into the pool (within six months) so that NEC would provide to other needy widows who newly join the target group
  • NEC would not provide any type of feeding assistance except technical storage facility
  • Any sickness of the life stock should be reported to the Farm Store so the veterinary would rush for the treatment
  • If the Party fails to keep with the conditions, NEC would ask the family to return the stock so that another widow would utilize
  • Marketing costs should be handled by the owner (transportation and seller wage)